Chapter 281 Dead! Finally Dead
Zachary walked to the bedside, looking at Stanley with mixed feelings.
When he was kicked out of the country, Stanley wasn't like this, nor did he have so much much white hair.
In just one year, he could barely recognize this person he'd been calling "Dad" for over twenty years.
Amelia tugged at his sleeve just then.
Only then did Zachary snap back to reality.
"You stay here. I can't be gone too long - I need to go to Samuel and buy you time. Once the alarm goes off here, you take videos and send the evidence to your people, let them spread the news."
She spoke very quietly, almost whispering right into Zachary's ear.
Even in this quiet room, only Zachary could hear her.
Zachary's ear felt strangely hot, and he was annoyed inside - Amelia had no sense of propriety. There was no one else in the room, so why did she have to get so close and whisper?
But his face showed no trace of displeasure as he smiled and nodded.
Amelia left quickly.
The door closed again, and the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Zachary's gaze fell back on Stanley.
With Amelia gone, there was no third person in the room.
And Stanley was basically a dead man, so Zachary felt completely uninhibited.
He removed the mask from his face, revealing a cold sneer.
"Stanley, you have this day too? You calculated everything, but never thought your so-called legitimate son would be the one to kill you, did you?"
"But I really have to thank Samuel. Though I also wanted you dead soon, I wasn't as bold as him—he actually killed you."
As he spoke, he reached out and patted Stanley's face.
"But Samuel isn't the only thing you miscalculated - there's also Nash. You definitely don't know he's been my man for a long time."
"When I was nine years old, I learned about my background, and from that momentmoment, I deliberately cultivated Nash."
"I was just too timid to kill Samuel directly. Otherwise, once he's dead, my identity would never be exposed."
At this, he let out a soft sigh.
But just then, he saw Stanley's finger twitch slightly.
Zachary jumped in fright and immediately checked Stanley's breathing.
No breathing.
Zachary relaxed.
"Scared me to death, I almost thought you were waking up."
He patted his chest and paced around the room.
Time ticked by second by second.
He didn't know how things were going outside, and his patience was wearing thin.
But the machine indicating Stanley's brain death was still active.
"Why aren't you dead yet? When exactly are you going to die?" he said venomously.
Stanley's finger moved again, but this time, Zachary didn't notice.
He was just waiting for Stanley to die quickly.
But soon he couldn't wait any longer.
"If I unplug this machine, will you die immediately?"
He leaned forward and removed several monitoring devices from Stanley's body.
But it was useless.
Soon he noticed the IV drip in Stanley's hand.
Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled the needle directly from his hand.
Before long, the machine indicating brain death suddenly lit up, flashing rapidly.
"Dead! Finally dead!"
Zachary was overjoyed.
He quickly pulled out his phone, taking photos and videos, busily sending them to his people.
After sending the pictures and videos successfully, he then called Timothy's phone.
"I saw it with my own eyes—Stanley is dead. Immediately pull together all the media you can and rush to the hospital. Also, call the police. Make it as big a scene as possible."
Timothy was shocked.
He had thought this might be a trap, but never expected Stanley to actually be dead.
Since he really was dead, this was indeed a golden opportunity.
"Yes, Mr. Crawford, I'll do it right away!"
Timothy was more efficient than anyone else, swift and decisive in his actions.
Samuel's people would definitely come here too.
So Zachary didn't delay any longer, putting on his mask to leave.
But just then, a weak yet cold voice suddenly rang out.
"Sorry to disappoint you—I'm not dead yet!"
Zachary's steps stopped abruptly.
His body seemed to freeze. After a long moment, he turned around with difficulty.
Looking down, he saw Stanley's slightly clouded eyes staring at him like ice. His back immediately broke out in cold sweat, and he couldn't help but scream.
But then he realized he couldn't make too much noise, he quickly covered his mouth.
He even wondered if his guilty conscience was making him hallucinate.
He rubbed his eyes hard.
But Stanley's eyes were clearly open, and his right hand had also lifted up, pointing straight at him.
"You bastard!"
As he spoke, his chest heaved violently and he began to cough.
Beyond his shock, Zachary slowly realized—Stanley wasn't dead.
He had come back to life.
Why did he come back? Wasn't he brain dead?
He looked at the machine - it had stopped flashing at some point.
And the heart rate monitor was no longer a flat line, but rising and falling rhythmically.
The heart rate had returned to normal!
His expression was blank, but a voice in his head said: Stanley had been shocked back to life by his anger!
"You bastard! Get on your knees!"
Zachary instinctively bent his knees and knelt down, so scared even his hands were shaking.
He was very afraid of Stanley.
Not because of Stanley's presence, but because he'd known about his background since childhood and had always feared the day Stanley would kick him out.
So he pretended to be obedient, carefully trying to please Stanley from a young age.
Even compared to his studies, which Stanley cared about, he always put that second.
First place always went to pleasing Stanley.
And Stanley was so angry his eyes turned red.
He had just been in a very strange state - clearly able to hear the sounds around him, but unable to open his eyes no matter what.
It was hearing Zachary's words that the feeling of losing control of his body gradually disappeared.
Finally, he woke up.
If his body could move, he would want to strangle Zachary right now!
This was the son he'd raised himself from childhood.
Compared to Samuel, he cared more about Zachary.
So even knowing Zachary was only his illegitimate son, he didn't let Zachary end up in the same situation Samuel once had.
He just sent him abroad to continue his privileged life.
In the country, Zachary would definitely face scorn.
But going abroad was different.
No one knew Zachary there, and as long as he had money, he could live very happily.
Zachary would have a very good life abroad.
Even when considering whether to have surgery, the first person he thought of was bringing Zachary back.
Thinking that Zachary would definitely protect him and not let him face danger.
That way, even if Samuel wanted to pull something, he'd have Zachary's protection.
But he never imagined that Samuel, whom he was wary of, would do everything possible to save him and successfully perform the surgery.
While Zachary, whom he privately favored, was so happy about his "death."
When he heard Zachary say "dead, finally dead" with his own ears, he was so angry he almost coughed up blood, and then he successfully opened his eyes.
"You wanted me dead that badly? Haven't I been good enough to you?"
Some word in that sentence touched Zachary's most sensitive nerve.
He suddenly wasn't afraid anymore.
He was even calmer than when he first came in.
He stopped kneeling, stood up from the floor, and looked down at Stanley.
"Good to me? Were you really good to me, or to your legitimate son? If you were really good to me, you should have kept it secret and let me continue as the Crawford family heir, instead of kicking me out!"
Stanley's face twitched with anger.
"You're so ungrateful! I kicked you out for your own good!"
"For my own good? What a joke! You kicked me out of the country like a stray dog, and you dare say it was for my own good?"
"You, you!"
Stanley was so angry he couldn't speak, just staring hard at Zachary.
But Zachary suddenly laughed.
"You're shocked, aren't you, that I'm like this? Let me tell you honestly —I've always been like this. And Samuel isn't any good either. You think you know why you're lying here half-dead? He did this! I only thought about killing you in my heart but never actually did it, while Samuel - he's the one who actually tried to kill you!"
Stanley's eyes widened in apparent surprise.
What surprised him was that Zachary actually thought Samuel was trying to kill him?
Where did he get that conclusion?
But Zachary thought Stanley was surprised that Samuel also wanted him dead.
Zachary sneered and said, "But now I'm no different from him. News of your death has already spread—you can't stay alive anymore. I won't have a chance to repay you for raising me. Wait for me in heaven. When I die and get to heaven, I'll come find you and confess."
Stanley didn't understand what he was saying at first.
"Bastard, what are you babbling about? I'm fine now, I won't die! Samuel already saved me, my body is healthy."
Before he could finish, he saw Zachary's face turn cold as he slowly stepped closer.
Zachary was filled with killing intent.
Stanley suddenly realized what Zachary wanted to do.
He looked at him in disbelief.
"You want to kill me?"
"I already told you, after I die, I'll apologize to you in heaven."
Stanley felt ice-cold all over.
"You, you're absolutely despicable! You'll go to hell."
Before he could finish, Zachary grabbed the pillow at the foot of the bed.
—Stanley had brain surgery and had to lie flat, so he couldn't use a pillow.
The pillow was placed at the foot of the bed.
Now Zachary grabbed it and pressed it directly toward Stanley's face.
"Die! Once you're dead, everything will be mine!"